A report and recommendations on the future structure of the Army will be made public during an official ceremony Thursday in downtown Washington, D.C.
The National Commission on the Future of the Army (NCFA) briefed senior service and Pentagon officials and lawmakers Wednesday on the outcome of its yearlong deep dive into the workings and organization of the Army. The report will be made public at 2 p.m.
The commission, created by Congress in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, will not issue directives. Its report will suggest legislative and administrative options to optimize the service’s ability to perform anticipated mission requirements within its foreseen budget.
Perhaps the most anticipated recommendation is where the commission settled on the Army’s aviation modernization plans and the structure of aviation units.
Photo: U.K. MoD
The commission was created almost entirely as a reaction to the Army’s plan to restructure its rotorcraft fleets by moving Boeing [BA] AH-64 Apache helicopters from reserve to active units while retiring entirely the Bell Helicopter [TXT] OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed scout, among other aircraft shuffling. Army brass calculate the so-called Aviation Restructure Initiative (ARI) could cut $12 billion up front and another $1 billion annually because they would ultimately own about 700 fewer aircraft.
The commission is considering various options, including the ARI, a National Guard counterproposal and alternate organizational structures that would have active and reserve aviation units share both Apaches and Lockheed Martin [LMT] UH-60 Black Hawks,
Commission members also made no secret that the panel would issue recommendations for more closely aligning the active and reserve Army components. The report likely will propose continued if not greater integration of the active Army with the Reserve and National Guard.
Commission Chairman and retired four-star Gen. Carter Ham has said the overwhelming theme of public comments to the commission called for institutionalizing the operational experience the reserve components have gained over the past 14 years of war and strengthening the Guard and Reserve as a readiness pool to allow rapid expansion of active forces in a crisis.